A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Saint Huberty, Antoinette
SAINT [1]HUBERTY, Antoinette Cécile, an eminent French operatic actress, whose real surname was Clavel, was born at Toul, about 1756. Her father, who had previously served in the army, became stage manager to a French opera company at Mannheim, and afterwards at Warsaw, where she studied for four years with Lemoyne, conductor of the orchestra. Her first public appearance was in an opera of his 'Le Bouquet de Colette.' She then went to Berlin, and is said to have been married there to a certain Chevalier de Croisy, of whom, however, nothing is heard in her subsequent history. For three years she sang at Strassburg, as Mlle. Clavel, and thence went to Paris, and made her début at the Académie as 'un démon, un plaisir' in the first performance of Gluck's 'Armide' (Sept. 23, 1777). For a considerable time she only played in subordinate parts. Her appearance was not striking; she was fair, thin, and below middle height, with a face expressive, but not beautiful. Her voice was produced badly and with effort, her stage action was spasmodic and exaggerated, and she had a strong German accent. But Gluck found in this ill-trained actress some qualities he may have vainly sought for in more finished singers. She appeared one morning at rehearsal in an old black gown in the last stage of patched decrepitude. 'Here comes Madame la Ressource,' remarked some gay rival (alluding to the character of that name in 'Le Joueur'). 'Well said,' answered Gluck; 'that woman will some day be the resource of the opera.' Perhaps she heard the words—we may be sure she heard of them. She laboured to improve herself, and on the retirement of two leading singers succeeded to their parts. Her first great success was as Angélique in Piccinni's 'Roland,' and was followed by others in Floquet's 'Le Seigneur Bienfaisant,' Gossec's 'Thésée' (March 1, 1782), and Edelmann's 'Ariane' (Sept. 24, 1782), all tragic rôles; while as Rosette in Grétry's 'L'Embarras des Richesses' (Nov. 26, 1782), she showed all the versatility and vivacity necessary for comedy. As Armide (in Sacchini's 'Renaud'), in 'Didon,' 'Chimène,' 'Les Danaïdes,' 'Alceste,' and 'Phèdre,' she had a succession of triumphs. 'Didon,' Piccinni's masterpiece, made no impression till she undertook the title rôle, and the composer declared that, without her, his opera was 'without Dido.' On her first appearance in that part (Jan. 16, 1784) she was crowned upon the stage. She was never a perfect vocalist; 'less violent and extravagant in her singing than the generality of French singers, but still with too much of the national style,' says Lord Mount-Edgecumbe, who admits however that she was an excellent musician. But her power lay in her extreme sensibility. In truth and force of expression she was unequalled; her declamation was impassioned, her by-play 'terrible,' her silence 'eloquent.'
In 1785 she made a journey to Marseilles, which resembled a royal progress. The excitement she created amounted to frenzy, and when she left Provence she carried away more than a hundred crowns, many of them of great value.
But on her return to Paris she found new rivals to dispute her sway. She failed, too, as Clytemnestra, a part altogether unsuited to her. It ended four years later by her marrying the Comte d'Entraigues, of strong royalist sympathies, in which she participated warmly. In 1790 he had emigrated to Lausanne, and there their marriage took place, at the end of that year. It was only acknowledged, however, in 1797, after the Count, imprisoned at Milan by Bonaparte, had been released by his wife, who found means of enabling him to escape, and of preserving his portfolio, full of political papers. For this service she was rewarded by Louis XVIII. with the Order of St. Michel and, it seems, by her husband with the recognition of their marriage.
The Count afterwards entered the Russian diplomatic service, and was employed on secret missions. The peace of Tilsit changed his tactics. He possessed himself in some manner of a copy of the secret articles of the Treaty, and hastened with them to England to communicate them to the government. For this he is said to have received a pension. He established himself, with his wife, at Barnes, near Richmond, where, July 22, 1812, they were assassinated by their servant, who stabbed them as they we're getting into their carriage, and blew out his own brains afterwards. This man had been bribed by emissaries of Fouché's, sent to watch the proceedings of the Count d'Entraigues, and had allowed them to take copies of correspondence with the Foreign Office, entrusted to his care by his master. He had reason to think that his treachery was being discovered, and fear of the consequences probably prompted him to the dreadful deed.[ F. A. M. ]
- ↑ How she obtained this name is not known.